NATO Show 2013 Recap

Zeller, Herzog, Morris speak; Meetings with a Mission kicks off

MINNEAPOLIS -- NATO is calling the 12th Anniversary & Trade Show held at the Paris Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, the organization's, "best show yet." With more than 100,000 stores represented and nearly 400 booths on the show floor, this was the biggest and most successful trade show and conference for NATO to date.

In addition to the trade show action, NATO Show 2013 hosted many standing-room-only education sessions.

In one of the more popular sessions, newly appointed U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) director of the Center for Tobacco Products (CTP), Mitchell Zeller, expressed his desire for an ongoing and open dialogue with those in the tobacco industry in a panel discussion including NATO executive director, Thomas Briant.

A NATO Show favorite, Bonnie Herzog, managing director of tobacco and consumer research for Wells Fargo Securities, discussed tobacco trends and predictions in her session including the topic of cigarette pricing.

Political author and consultant Dick Morris rounded out the week's activities with the keynote speech addressing what the tobacco industry can prepare for while President Obama serves his last term.

The 2013 NATO Show also kicked off its inaugural Meetings with a Mission (MWM) event at the start of the show. A group of NATO MWM volunteers visited the Las Vegas Rescue Mission to learn about the realities of homelessness in the Las Vegas community and participated in a day of projects to benefit the organization and those they serve. NATO, along with individuals attending the 2013 NATO Show, pooled funds to grant almost $4,000 to the Las Vegas Rescue Mission. The check was presented to the organization at the NATO reception and awards dinner.

To see NATO Show 2013 highlight videos and to get a sneak peak at NATO Show 2014, visit NATOShow.com. For ongoing tobacco news and NATO Show updates, follow us on Twitter @ShowNATO.

NATO is the National Association of Tobacco Outlets, a national retail trade association that focuses exclusively on local, state and federal tobacco legislative issues and leads the fight for all tobacco interests in the United States.